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Programs Coordinator The Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) seeks a part-time Programs Coordinator. Job responsibilities include coordinating IRWA’s RiverWatch monitoring program and other volunteer programs, working with the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition to promote environmentally-friendly landscaping, assisting the Naturalist with field work and property management tasks, helping produce the newsletter and maintain the website, and social media, and handling requests for information. The position requires an individual who: The position requires the ability to do field work in a river environment as well as property management tasks. A minimum of a B.S. in an environmental field is required. Strong computer skills are required. This is a permanent position currently budgeted at 20 hours a week, and includes health, IRWA seeks a minimum of a one-year commitment. IRWA is a non-profit organization that works to protect the Ipswich River and the water resources of the North Shore of Massachusetts. IRWA is an equal opportunity employer. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter by September 10, 2010 to: Kerry Mackin, Executive Director |
North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership Greetings! I hope your summer is going well- Land conservation organizations in Massachusetts are looking for candidates right now to serve as Americorps volunteers (with stipend) to help support land protection, including the initiation of new projects, stewardship of protected lands, outreach to the broader community, and service learning opportunities to engage young people in conservation. Please consider applying or forwarding this along! Thanks- -Jay Rasku Conservation Opportunities with AmeriCorps MassLIFT is seeking applicants for 20 AmeriCorps positions to serve full-time from October 6, 2010 through August 31, 2011. AmeriCorps members will serve in one of a dozen land trusts and partner organizations across the state and in one of four positions: land steward, regional conservationist, service learning coordinator, or outreach coordinator. Their activities will strengthen the efforts of Massachusetts communities and their MassLIFT partners to protect open space for farms, working forests, trails, wetlands, parks, community gardens, and other lands of conservation and local importance. Compensation: Members will earn a stipend of $11,800 over the 11-month term of service. Upon completion of the program they will receive a $5,350 education award which can be used to pay off existing school loans or apply to future education. AmeriCorps covers members' health care insurance. Childcare assistance may be provided in cases of financial need. Pending continuation of the MassLIFT grant, members may continue to serve in this program for up to two years. Application specifics and further information about MassLIFT partners and service positions can be found on the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust website: www.mountgrace.org SEE BELOW for more information regarding program details. ****************************************** Service Position: The main purpose of this position is to help land trusts increase the pace of land protection in their region and strengthen the efforts of volunteer community leaders and municipal commissions to identify and facilitate conservation projects. AmeriCorps members serving as Regional Conservationists will: (1) use maps and GIS to identify promising land protection projects; (2) facilitate efforts of landowners, municipal boards, local land trusts, and potential funders to implement projects; (3) assist and train local boards, land trusts, and volunteers in landowner negotiations and conservation planning; and 4) help communities to form and to carry out the work of volunteer agricultural commissions and open space committees. Mentor/supervisors will provide training and guidance necessary to achieve the program objectives. Required Qualifications:
Desired Qualifications:
MassLIFT Partners hosting Regional Conservationists: **************************************** Service Position: The main purpose of this position is to help land trusts and local governments fulfill their stewardship responsibilities for protected lands. MassLIFT Land Stewards will: (1) document property boundaries, vegetation, wildlife, soils, wetlands, streams and ponds, and other features, to develop a "baseline report" on protected lands; (2) conduct annual monitoring on protected lands to document changes, identify problems and maintain landowner contact; (3) train community volunteers to monitor protected lands; and (4) inform land trust staff, property managers, and landowners about land management needs and concerns. A supervisor will provide the AmeriCorps land steward with the training and guidance necessary to achieve the program objectives. Land stewards spent about 60% of their time in the office and 40% in the field. Required Qualifications:
Desired Qualifications:
MassLIFT Partners hosting AmeriCorps Land Stewards: Franklin Land Trust - Shelburne Falls, MA ************************************************************************ Service Position: The Service Learning Coordinator works to foster an ethic of community service and civic engagement among young people, and to increase the connections that children and young adults feel to the land. The coordinator designs projects that allow young people to learn about working lands while contributing to the protection and stewardship of farms, forests, wildlife habitats, watershed areas, community gardens, and parks. The coordinator develops service learning opportunities for hands-on conservation such as: (1) exploring local vernal pools and learning about their protection; (2) creating pollinator gardens; (3) clean-up and planting in community gardens and parks; (4) trail creation or clean-up on protected lands; (5) park clean-up; (6) making and painting signs for conservation lands. Required Qualifications:
MassLIFT Partners hosting Service Learning Coordinators: East Quabbin Land Trust, Hardwick, MA ************************************************************************ Service Position: The Outreach Coordinator works to increase local support for and participation in land protection and to foster an ethic of community service and civic engagement among community groups and volunteers. The coordinator will reach out to civic groups not traditionally engaged in conservation and: (1) plan and promote group events such as hikes, bird-watching trips, wildlife tracking forays, and wildflower walks on protected lands in the community; (2) encourage community organizations to take on projects such as creating and maintaining trails and community gardens; (3) develop informational and presentation materials; (4) make public presentations about nature, agriculture and horticulture, land protection, and conservation to a wide variety of civic organizations and; (5) seek out community input regarding potential sites for land conservation. Required Qualifications:
Desired Qualifications:
MassLIFT Partners hosting Community Outreach Coordinators: ************************************************************************ AmeriCorps Member Requirements The 2010 MassLIFT program will run from October 6, 2010 until August 31, 2011. All MassLIFT AmeriCorps members are expected to serve full-time, serve for the entire 11-month term, and complete 1,700 hours of service. This 1,700 hour commitment includes time spent in trainings and in meetings with the full MassLIFT team. Applicants must also meet the following AmeriCorps requirements: a US citizen, US national, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the U.S. AmeriCorps programs provide equal employment opportunities. MassLIFT will recruit and select persons in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, color, political affiliation, creed, national origin, marital status, or any other status as protected by federal, state, and local laws. We welcome applications from individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations for interviews and service upon request. Compensation: Members will earn a stipend of $11,800 over the 11-month term of service. Upon completion of the program they will receive a $5,350 education award which can be used to pay off existing school loans or apply to future education. AmeriCorps covers members' health care insurance. Childcare assistance may be provided in cases of financial need. Pending continuation of the MassLIFT grant, members may continue to serve in this program for up to two years. Application Procedures: AmeriCorps is a federally funded program that supports a broad range of local and national nonprofit groups by engaging thousands of Americans in intensive service to meet critical community needs. In 2010 more than 325 organizations across the country have been awarded AmeriCorps grants to help them address pressing social and environmental issues, and foster an ethic of civic engagement. The Massachusetts Service Alliance established in 1991, is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as the state commission on community service and volunteerism. Its mission is to catalyze the innovation and growth of service and volunteerism by creating partnerships that maximize resources, expertise, capacity, and impact. |
Scoop the poop – and don’t pollute. Many posts on this blog focus on hiking, fishing, birding, and other great activities but I would guess that the most popular outdoor activity in Massachusetts is dog walking. Hold your nose and consider this: In 2007, over 37 percent of households in the United States owned a dog. Let’s say there is one dog for each 10 people in a given watershed. Then assume an average half a pound of waste is generated per dog per day. The Charles River watershed, with some 900,000 residents, then likely has 90,000 dogs. At half a pound of waste per dog per day that is 45,000 pounds, or 22.5 tons of dog waste generated every day or over 16 million pounds per year! Dog waste can carry many bacteria and other pathogens. Studies have shown that a typical dog dropping can have as many as 3 billion fecal coliform bacteria. Pets frequently carry giardia and salmonella as well. There are plenty of other compounds in that stuff that encourage the blooms of algae and weeds that clog up rivers and lakes. Some of that growth – called cyanobacteria – also presents a danger to human health. So, pick up after your pets – in your yard, in the park, or on the street. |
NASAMI FARM NURSERY REOPENS SEPTEMBER 2, Volunteers Needed The Fall Season for Nasami Farm (western Mass. location of the New England Wildflower Society) runs September 2 through October 3 this year. Nasami is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during these five weeks. The trip to Nasami is truly beautiful, especially in the fall with the blazing Berkshires to the west and the stunning Pioneer Valley surrounding the farm. We are very excited about the diversity and uniqueness of the native plants we have to offer this fall. Stop by. Nasami Farm Nursery is a very special place but we are in need of lots of volunteers to make it the best it can be as a destination that includes display gardens and sanctuary trails. Another display calls for several old doors and/or windows that are antique looking, have character, but are in decent condition. Please contact Scott LaFleur, Director of Horticulture and Curator if you can help with any of the above. Scott can be reached at slafleur@newenglandwild.org. We appreciate your help! |
Drought Advisory for Northeast and Central Massachusetts Map of drought advisory area. BOSTON – AUGUST 13, 2010 – Following three months of unusually dry weather, the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force has found conditions warranting a Drought Advisory in two of the Commonwealth's six water resources management regions. The Advisory covers the Northeast and Central Regions of Massachusetts, and calls for state, regional and local water officials to be vigilant, especially concerning fire danger and water supply for firefighting. The Drought Management Task Force made this finding at its Friday, August 13, meeting at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) headquarters in Framingham. The second of five levels of drought conditions outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan (Normal, Advisory, Watch, Warning and Emergency), Advisory indicates a level of dry conditions that warrants closer tracking by agencies at all levels of government. Of particular concern is fire danger, when dry soil conditions can allow fire to burn deep and spread rapidly to large areas. Task Force officials noted that while some smaller reservoir systems in Drought Advisory areas are low for this time of year, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) supply system is well within normal operating range. Some other public water suppliers have issued conservation measures in response to the dry conditions. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and its agencies encourage people to conserve water as a matter of good practice. Today's Drought Advisory may require that additional outdoor water conservation measures be implemented by public water supply managers and other permitted users as required by their water management permit. Citizens are asked to abide by water restrictions imposed by their public water supplier. A Drought Advisory requires the Drought Management Task Force to begin meeting on a regular basis to more closely assess conditions across the state, coordinate dissemination of information to the public, and help state, federal and local agencies coordinate any responses that may be needed in the future. The Task Force will meet monthly, with the next meeting in September. The state's rainfall in the Northeast and Central Regions has declined since May, with cumulative precipitation deficits of up to four inches below normal for the months of May through July. August rainfall to date is also below normal. Stream flow is extremely deficient in many areas of the state, even for this time of year when seasonally low stream flow is expected. Ground water levels have also declined, although these are slower to respond than stream flow to the rainfall deficit. So far this year, 86 municipalities have informed the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that they have instituted outdoor water use restrictions to conserve water. A Drought Advisory is based on thresholds contained in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, a blueprint developed by the Drought Management Task Force to guide state activities in response to droughts and extended periods of dry weather. MEMA is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and manmade. For additional information about MEMA, go to the MEMA website at www.mass.gov/mema. |
Renewable Energy Funds for Biomass? Does burning wood in power plants help or hinder efforts to address climate change? The commonwealth recently commissioned a study which found that burning biomass such as wood from forests is not as “carbon neutral” as previously assumed. In response, the state held public meetings and is revising the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) – the program that requires a certain percentage of Massachusetts’ electricity to come from renewable energy – to ensure that publicly funded financial incentives are effective in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Mass Audubon supports this and other regulatory reforms to promote long term protection and sustainable management of forests. |
Climate Change Pro Bono Legal Help |
EWG's Back-To-School Guide Buying school supplies is an annual end-of-summer tradition. It's also an opportunity to look for safer products for your children and their classrooms. The good news is that with a little time and attention, a backpack full of non-toxic school supplies is in reach. Purchase your back-to-school supplies (and any other item, for that matter) through EWG's link to Amazon. Amazon will donate part of your purchase to EWG! Or download the PDF to take with you to the store. This year, think greener when you stock up on these standard items:
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Requests for Proposals: MACC Seeks Erosion and Sedimentation Control Specialists and Instructors Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) is a private non-profit organization whose primary mission is to support and educate Conservation Commissioners. We received a grant to develop new statewide educational programs on erosion and sedimentation control over the next year. MACC is interested in retaining the services of erosion and sedimentation control specialists and instructors to develop and teach these erosion and sedimentation control workshops throughout Massachusetts. |
Scaling Up Solar: The Global Implications of a New Study that Says Solar Power Is Cost Competitive with Nuclear Power Two US researchers have declared that solar electricity in their home state is now cheaper than next-generation nuclear power. Olivia Boyd looks at their study – and its global implications. The sunshine of North Carolina, a state on America’s Atlantic seaboard, has long been a draw for tourists seeking a little southern warmth on the region’s beaches. But holiday companies are not the only ones trumpeting a good local deal. The price of the state’s solar-generated electricity has fallen so far that it is now cheaper than new nuclear power, according to a report published in July by researchers at the state’s Duke University. The authors say their figures indicate a “historic crossover” that significantly strengthens the case for investment in renewable energy – and weakens the arguments for large-scale, international nuclear development. <more> |
A Maine town of 2,580 residents makes money recycling ST. GEORGE, Maine -- It was in the late 1990s that selectmen in St. George, Maine, made a decision to invest in recycling their trash. More than 10 years later, a $1 million municipal investment has turned into a profit center. Not bad for a town of about 2,580 people near the famed Port Clyde lighthouse along mid-coast Maine. |
We're Hot as Hell and We're Not Going to Take It Any More Try to fit these facts together:
I wrote the first book for a general audience on global warming back in 1989, and I've spent the subsequent 21 years working on the issue. I'm a mild-mannered guy, a Methodist Sunday School teacher. Not quick to anger. So what I want to say is: this is fucked up. The time has come to get mad, and then to get busy. Here are some bits and pieces of the story that we hope make the point if you aren't going to read the whole thing: Step one involves actually talking about global warming. For years now, the accepted wisdom in the best green circles was: talk about anything else -- energy independence, oil security, beating the Chinese to renewable technology. I was at a session convened by the White House early in the Obama administration where some polling guru solemnly explained that "green jobs" polled better than "cutting carbon." Step two, we have to ask for what we actually need, not what we calculate we might possibly be able to get. ...We need a stiff price on carbon, set by the scientific understanding that we can't still be burning black rocks a couple of decades hence. That undoubtedly means upending the future business plans of Exxon and BP, Peabody Coal and Duke Energy, not to speak of everyone else who's made a fortune by treating the atmosphere as an open sewer for the byproducts of their main business. Instead they should pay through the nose for that sewer, and here's the crucial thing: most of the money raised in the process should be returned directly to American pockets. The monthly check sent to Americans would help fortify us against the rise in energy costs, and we'd still be getting the price signal at the pump to stop driving that SUV and start insulating the house. We also need to make real federal investments in energy research and development, to help drive down the price of alternatives -- the Breakthrough Institute points out, quite rightly, that we're crazy to spend more of our tax dollars on research into new drone aircraft and Mars orbiters than we do on photovoltaics. Which leads to the third step in this process. If we're going to get any of this done, we're going to need a movement, the one thing we haven't had. For 20 years environmentalists have operated on the notion that we'd get action if we simply had scientists explain to politicians and CEOs that our current ways were ending the Holocene, the current geological epoch. That turns out, quite conclusively, not to work. We need to be able to explain that their current ways will end something they actually care about, i.e. their careers. And since we'll never have the cash to compete with Exxon, we better work in the currencies we can muster: bodies, spirit, passion. Mostly, we need to tell the truth, resolutely and constantly. Fossil fuel is wrecking the one earth we've got. It's not going to go away because we ask politely. If we want a world that works, we're going to have to raise our voices. Bill McKibben is founder of 350.org and the author, most recently, of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. Earlier this year the Boston Globe called him "probably the country's leading environmentalist" and Time described him as "the planet's best green journalist." He's a scholar in residence at Middlebury College. 350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project. |
NOFA/Mass Opposes State’s Aerial Spraying of Toxic Pesticide The state of Massachusetts has announced plans, starting August 4, to spray pesticide from the air over a significant area of the state in an effort to kill mosquitoes carrying the virus responsible for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). EEE is a disease that infects birds living in freshwater swamps and can be carried by mosquito bite to horses and humans. It can be fatal, especially to the young. As of early August 2010, there have been 15 mammal-biting mosquitoes detected yielding positive results for the virus, although only one horse has been found with it, and no humans. Initial state plans call for nighttime spraying of pesticide over nearly 30 towns, centered on Middleborough, MA, covering an area of almost 300,000 acres. The state says it has mapped no-spray zones around public water supplies, coastal areas, organic farms, fish hatcheries and habitats of endangered species. The pesticide to be sprayed will be Anvil, a synthetic pyrethroid. The normal concentration is 10% of the active ingredient sumithrin, 10% piperonyl butoxide, and 80% inert ingredients. Although pyrethroids are listed among the least toxic insecticides, they are still potent nerve poisons. Inhaling them can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain and difficulty breathing. Skin contact can cause a rash, itching, or blisters. Piperonyl butoxide, although not yet fully researched, can cause skin and eye irritations. Rats fed high doses of pyrethroids showed liver damage, and there is evidence it can harm the thyroid. Sumithrin has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking the effects of estrogen. In men this can lower the sperm count, in women it can cause the growth of abnormal breast cells. It has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a possible human carcinogen. Sumithrin is also very poisonous to bees and fish. Its half-life in soil is from one day to sixteen weeks, depending on the type of soil, Human Impact NOFA/Mass doubts that the potential ill effects of this poison and suspected carcinogen on hundreds of thousands of people in the path of the spray can be justified by the seriousness of the health risk so far posed by EEE. The state has called upon people to close up their houses and shut down their air-conditioners and fans to avoid exposure. They advise rinsing any homegrown fruits and vegetables, keeping pets indoors, and washing any exposed clothes or skin. Do we really need to impose these conditions on our citizens to protect them from being poisoned by their own government? Environmental Impact It is unacceptable that the state has chosen a compound highly toxic to bees, which can last almost 4 months, to introduce in our environment, when Massachusetts is already suffering a serious decline in bee population from Colony Collapse Disorder caused, many feel, by exposure to another toxic pesticide, Imadacloprid. Organic Farm Impact Although the state has taken the precaution of surveying certified organic farms and locating them by GPS coordinates on the aerial spraying maps, we are not confident that such farms can be adequately protected by such exclusion zones. The farms’ small size, the strength of prevailing winds, the speed of the planes, and the imprecision inherent in this type of nighttime flyover suggest that such protection is not a practical measure. We call upon the state to reconsider this gamble with our public health, and urge anyone concerned about this spraying to protest it by calling Governor Deval Patrick at 617-725-4005. Mindy Harris Home Office: |
Co-Act Food Net Update, Berkshire charitable meal site support Hunger and food insecurity is growing throughout the country affecting almost 16% of our Berkshire community. In 2008, charitable meal sites in the Berkshires were running out of food, unable to keep up with the increasing need. This community concern became the catalyst that inspired and launched the Berkshire Co-Act “Food Net”, a grassroots initiative dedicated to the food security and nutritional needs of the thirty-three meal sites of Central and Southern Berkshire County. In January of 2009, Co-Act held the first collaborative meeting of managers and directors of these local meal sites. There they discovered common needs and issues such as a lack of fresh produce and protein. It was also revealed that a deeper issue was at the root of this dilemma. It was not the shortage of food, infrastructure, willing personnel, or even creativity. Instead, the root issue had to do with “systems”; the solution required collaboration and new networks of access and distribution. As a result, five abundant avenues of local food access were identified.
This new system of food access is practical and simple. For example, Peace Valley Farm had a bumper crop of squash. They called the Food Net; we picked up 1,300 pounds in July, which went to 16 meal sites and pantries. The farmer also received a tax write off, through the Food Net’s 501-(c) (3). Another farmer participating in Second Harvest describes her experience. Woven Roots donated close to 200 vegetable starters that went to Westside Farm Project, who then distributed the extra plants to the Westside neighborhood of Pittsfield, predominately a low income area. Several households are now enjoying the benefits of tending new or expanded gardens in their yards. From the growers to the cooks who prepare the food at the meal sites, this new system is having an impact. “At St. Stephen’s table we have had the good fortune to be provided with locally grown organic produce through the Co-Act Food Net. St. Stephens table provides meals Thursday and Friday at 5:15 p.m. to anyone in the community who feels they need a meal. We are located near Park Square in Pittsfield and we serve 60 to 100 people each night. With your support, we can make a difference. Want more information or sign up to be on our Grow an Extra Row route? Please call 413-232-7888, email paul@co-act.org, or visit our web site www.Co-Act.org Paul Deslauriers, |
Banned Detergents Still For Sale At 9 Out Of 10 Massachusetts Stores Although they were banned over two years ago, dishwashing detergents made with environmentally-harmful phosphates are still being sold in nine out of 10 retail stores in the Boston area, according to a leading consumer group. |
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